Bathory formed in Vällingby in 1983. Quorthon (then known as Ace, after Ace Frehley of KISS), a 17-year-old guitarist, was joined by bass guitarist Fredrik Melander and drummer Jonas Åkerlund. According to Quorthon, he settled on the name 'Bathory' after a visit to the London Dungeon, although Jonas says that it was taken from the Venom song "Countess Bathory".Bathory was an extreme metal band formed in Vällingby, Sweden, in 1983 and named after the infamous Hungarian countess, Elizabeth Báthory. The band's frontman and main songwriter was Quorthon (Tomas Forsberg). Considered to be one of the most influential acts in heavy metal, Bathory's first four albums are considered to be "the blueprint for Scandinavian black metal".The band departed from this style on their fifth album, Hammerheart (1990), which is often cited as the first Viking metal album.Bathory continued in the Viking metal style throughout the 1990s and early 2000s, although the band returned to thrash metal with the albums Requiem (1994) and Octagon (1995). Bathory ended when Quorthon died from heart failure in 2004.

Album:

A lot of people tend to cite Venom as the first black metal band, but the fact is they only coined the term. Music-wise they were pretty much just early thrash metal. Bathory were the first band to truly play the black metal sound.This album is packed with heavy riffs, skillful solos, blazing drumwork and tortured raspy shrieks. The distorted speed metal riffs have Motörhead-esque tinge to them. They're reasonably fast and heavy, while going into a slower pace at parts, such as in Necromansy. The solos are played in quite a similar way to "Fast" Eddie Clarke (of Motörhead fame if you live under a rock and don't know who Eddie Clarke is). While there's a fair bit of shred going on, it doesn't get to the point where Quorthon was relying on his solos being stupidly fast rather than actually well played. The bass provides a backing rumble, but beyond that it does very little. The drums are well played to suit various parts of the music, unlike later black metal works that would just be non-stop blast beats.Quorthon was possibly the first vocalist to employ that raspy black metal style. He sounds genuinely tortured and in pain, like all through recording his entire body was in agony. Obviously at the time a vocalist of this sort would be quite frightening. I can't imagine how many people were scared shitless when they read the lyrics and heard the vocals. Speaking of the lyrics, they're incredibly haunting and often set a picture. Two good examples are War and Raise The Dead.The production is quite raw, but not the point where everything blurs together into an unlistenable wall of noise. Every instrument can be heard and heard clearly, minus the bass which could've been a bit louder. Other than that, an absolutely flawless album and the very first true black metal release. Get this album now!

Bathory formed in Vällingby in 1983. Quorthon (then known as Ace, after Ace Frehley of KISS), a 17-year-old guitarist, was joined by bass guitarist Fredrik Melander and drummer Jonas Åkerlund. According to Quorthon, he settled on the name 'Bathory' after a visit to the London Dungeon, although Jonas says that it was taken from the Venom song "Countess Bathory".Bathory was an extreme metal band formed in Vällingby, Sweden, in 1983 and named after the infamous Hungarian countess, Elizabeth Báthory. The band's frontman and main songwriter was Quorthon (Tomas Forsberg). Considered to be one of the most influential acts in heavy metal, Bathory's first four albums are considered to be "the blueprint for Scandinavian black metal".The band departed from this style on their fifth album, Hammerheart (1990), which is often cited as the first Viking metal album.Bathory continued in the Viking metal style throughout the 1990s and early 2000s, although the band returned to thrash metal with the albums Requiem (1994) and Octagon (1995). Bathory ended when Quorthon died from heart failure in 2004.

Album:

Let me start off with this. If you haven't heard or at least heard of this album before, or have not heard of this BAND, then you better get with it, buddy.Absolutely classic release from the mind of Quorthon, most certainly the first hero of the evil Black Metal world. What I refer to as the evil one is the real one, not synth worship fakes.The album starts off on an upward musical progression built upon audible doom. The title is perfect - "Revelation of Doom". The second track commences with some raw old-school riffing in the black/thrash vein."Born for Burning" is a perfect example of how Bathory worship bands like Toxic Holocaust achieve a certain sound, but it will never be what Bathory once was!! Fucking destructive song patterns, raw guitar work in Satan's name, and blasting drums. This is black metal in its earliest form of even the slightest evolution. Very minimal. Very cold and distant. Bathory is root to the world of Black Metal. "The Winds of Mayhem" is yet another prime form of the earliest black metal. The first solo rips in towards the two and a half minute mark."Possessed" slightly reminded me of the earliest Immortal I had heard, heavy repetitive rhythms accompanied by the deadliest screams from Hell.... "I am POSSESSED!!!". The solo after this second chorus is beyond words. It lays beyond hopes of what a modern day musician could create. Sure it's possible, but it won't be Bathory. Bath "The Rite of Darkness" as well as "Reap of Evil" are by far some of the best examples of the early Bathory era. Quorthon's motivation for creating music and titling/writing song started to differ past the next album. Not just that, but they're part of the blasphemous, nun-defiling audio soundtrack of an evil ritual.The next two tracks further develop this album in its entity, "Sadist" offering a killer early Thrash breakdown that multiple bands later renominated and further developed it themselves. The breakdown is without a doubt the most stand-out one on the album, giving reminder of the "Born for Burning" style of Quorthon riffs. The last track is again as evil as it gets, with about the most appropriate title; "Return of Darkness and Evil".In final conclusion, I've always considered this album to be at the top of my black influences list, as well as the self/titled. For comparing influential groups in the early '80s, this is certainly up there with (if not ahead of) Possessed and Sepultura. There is no room for filler, this is a straight up black/thrash attack from 1985. Let the blood of Bathory flow!!!